Dakotablue's blog: "Recipes"

5 cups milk 1 cup uncooked long-grain rice 1/4 cup dried black currants 1/4 cup raisins 1/2 cup dried cranberries 2 large eggs 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract One 12-ounce can evaporated milk 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon In a 4-quart pot, heat the fresh milk over medium heat just until bubbles form around the edge. Once you add the rice, you must watch the pot very carefully to be sure the mixture does not burn or boil over. We cooked ours over medium heat, but if your pot is not as thick-bottomed as ours, or if your stove puts out more BTUs than ours does, you may need to reduce the heat to medium-low or even low. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook, stirring gently every 5 minutes to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the rice is tender and sticky, about 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the currants, raisins, and cranberries. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the eggs, salt, sugar, vanilla, evaporated milk, and cinnamon just until well combined. Stir this mixture into the rice mixture until the ingredients are evenly distributed. Pour the batter into an 8-inch square baking pan or casserole dish and bake until the top is lightly browned and a knife inserted into the middle of the pudding comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving.

Serves 4 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small red onion, sliced on the bias (or 1/2 cup) 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup thinly sliced carrots 1/3 cup scallions, sliced 1/2 inch long 1 cup thinly sliced celery 1 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper 1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp (16-20 per pound) peeled and deveined 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup large diced mango One 5 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained 1/2 cup Sweet and Sour Sauce Tools Skillet Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 20 minutes 1. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil until hot. Add onion and sauté for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms, carrots, scallions, celery, and bell pepper. Sauté for 3 minutes. 2. Add the shrimp and salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until the shrimp are bright pink and firm. Add the mango, water chestnuts and Sweet and Sour Sauce. Continue to cook for 1 minute until hot. 3. Serve over rice. Tip: If you would like this dish juicier so it soaks into the rice, use more than 1/2 cup of the Sweet and Sour Sauce. Or, make extra sauce and serve it as a dip for fresh vegetables or chicken fingers.

Ingredients Serves Size: Serves 6 (as main course) 4 pounds chicken wings 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup lemon juice 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 Tablespoon spicy paprika 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 Tablespoon curry powder 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1/4 cup ketchup 3 scallions, thinly sliced Salt and pepper, to taste Tools Ziploc® Storage Bag with the Double Zipper Seal (gallon size) Bowl Wire whisk Grill Paper towels Brush Directions Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 1. Rinse and pat dry chicken wings and place in a Ziploc® Storage Bag with the Double Zipper seal (gallon size). 2. To make the marinade, add all remaining ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. 3. Pour this marinade into the Ziploc® bag, seal and toss to coat the wings evenly. Place in refrigerator and marinate for 30 minutes. 4. Preheat grill over medium fire. 5. Remove the chicken wings from the marinade. Save marinade for use later in Step 6. Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel. 6. Sprinkle the chicken wings with salt and pepper and then grill, turning regularly and brushing with the reserved marinade for about 25 minutes, until cooked thoroughly. Chef's Tip: Keep your soft tortillas or chalupa shells fresh for up to a week by storing them in a Ziploc® bag or container.

An elegant dessert with a layer of blackberries nestled under a warm custard blanket Cooking Technique:Boil-Simmer Prep Time:20 Cooking Time:20-30 minutes Yield:8 servings (3/4 cup each) Ingredients 1 pound fresh or thawed frozen blackberries, divided 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1-3/4 cups non-alcoholic sparkling white wine, divided 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup granulated sugar 1 cup (8 ounces) Egg Beaters® Egg Product Reddi-wip® Fat Free Dairy Whipped Topping, (optional) fresh mint leaves, (optional) Directions 1. Divide 1-1/4 cups blackberries evenly among 8 (10-ounce) wine glasses. Press remaining blackberries through sieve. Discard seeds; set juice aside. 2. Mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup wine in small bowl; set aside. Pour remaining 1-1/2 cups wine into medium saucepan; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, almond extract and the cornstarch mixture. Return to boil. Cook 30 seconds, or until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool slightly; set aside. 3. Heat about 1 inch of water in medium saucepan over medium heat just until steaming. (Do not bring to boil.) Set a medium metal bowl on top to create a double boiler. Reduce heat to medium-low. Pour sugar and Egg Beaters into bowl; beat constantly with wire whisk 3 minutes, or until mixture is thickened and more than tripled in volume. 4. Add gradually to Egg Beaters mixture, stirring constantly with wire whisk until well blended. Remove from heat. Add about 3/4 of the blackberry juice; stir until well blended. Spoon over blackberries in glasses. Drizzle with the remaining juice. 5. Serve warm topped with the whipped topping and mint leaf, if desired.

Creamy baked cheesecake made with fat free cottage cheese and nonfat cream cheese Cooking Technique:Bake Prep Time:10 Cooking Time:Over one hour Yield:9 servings (1/9 of cheesecake each) Ingredients PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs 1-1/2 cups nonfat cottage cheese 1 cup (8 ounces) Egg Beaters® Egg Product 1/2 cup granulated sugar 4 ounces (1/2 of 8-ounce package) fat free cream cheese 1/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice assorted fresh fruit, (optional) Directions 1. Preheat oven 325°F. Spray bottom and sides of 9-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle graham crumbs evenly onto bottom and up sides of baking dish. 2. Place cottage cheese and Egg Beaters in blender container; cover. Blend until smooth. Add sugar, cream cheese, lemon peel and juice; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour into prepared baking dish. 3. Bake 50 minutes, or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Cool in dish on wire rack; cover. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled. Cut into 9 squares to serve. Garnish with fruit, if desired.

A bountiful bowl of fresh lettuce, cucumbers, turkey and ham tossed with a creamy garlic dressing Cooking Technique:No Cook Prep Time:20 Cooking Time:Up to 10 minutes Yield:6 servings (1-1/2 cups each) Ingredients 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 1/4 cup nonfat sour cream 3 tablespoons fat free milk 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 bag (10 ounces) torn romaine lettuce 1/2 medium cucumber, finely chopped (1 cup) 1 medium red onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup) 3 ounces Healthy Choice® Oven Roasted Turkey, chopped 3 ounces Healthy Choice® Cooked Deli Ham, chopped 1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed Directions 1. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, garlic, salt and pepper in small bowl. 2. Toss lettuce with cucumbers, onions, turkey and ham in large bowl. Add mayonnaise mixture; mix lightly. Gently stir in peas.

Satisfying soup made in minutes using just a pasta/vegetable blend, diced tomatoes and canned broth Cooking Technique:Boil-Simmer Prep Time:10 Cooking Time:10-20 minutes Yield:4 servings (1-3/4 cups each) Ingredients 1 package (16 ounces) frozen pasta and vegetable blend in garlic sauce 1 can (14.5 ounce) Diced Tomatoes in Juice, undrained 2 cans (14.5 ounce each) Chicken Broth Directions 1. Combine pasta and vegetable blend, tomatoes with their liquid and the broth in medium saucepan. 2. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low; simmer until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Tender chicken and shrimp tossed with seasoned colorful vegetables and angel hair pasta Cooking Technique:Boil-Simmer Prep Time:30 Cooking Time:10-20 minutes Yield:4 servings (1 1/2-cups each) Ingredients 6 ounces dry angel hair pasta, uncooked 1/2 cup Butterball® Chicken Broth 2 tablespoons La Choy® Lite Soy Sauce 2 teaspoons cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger PAM® Olive Oil No-Stick Cooking Spray 1 small bunch green onions, cut into 1/2-inch lengths (about 1/2 cup) 2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon) 1 medium yellow crookneck squash, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices 1 small red or green bell pepper, cut into thin strips 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 4 ounces fresh or thawed frozen medium shrimp, peeled, deveined Directions 1. Cook pasta according to package directions, except omit any salt or fat. 2. Meanwhile, whisk broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and ginger in small bowl with wire whisk until well blended; set aside. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Heat 1 minute over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; cook 1 to 2 minutes, or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove onions and garlic from skillet; set aside. 3. Add squash to skillet; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add bell peppers; cook 2 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Remove vegetables from skillet; set aside. Add chicken and shrimp to skillet; cook 3 to 4 minutes, or until chicken pieces are no longer pink in centers and shrimp turn pink. Push chicken and shrimp to 1 side of skillet. Stir broth mixture; pour into skillet. Cook 1 minute, or until broth mixture is thickened, stirring constantly. Mix in the cooked vegetables; cook 1-2 minutes, or until heated through, stirring frequently. 4. Drain pasta; place on serving plate. Spray with cooking spray; top with the vegetable mixture.

Fluffy pancakes flavored with mashed ripe bananas and chopped walnuts Cooking Technique:Saute Prep Time:20 Cooking Time:10-20 minutes Yield:4 servings (3 pancakes each) Ingredients 1/2 cup hot rice cereal, uncooked 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup fat free milk 1 medium ripe banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup) 1/4 cup (2 ounces) Egg Beaters® Egg Product 2 tablespoons Fleischmann's® Original-stick, melted 1/4 cup chopped walnuts PAM® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray banana slices, (optional) walnut pieces, (optional) maple-flavored syrup, (optional) Directions 1. Combine cereal, flour, sugar and baking powder in medium bowl; set aside. Mix milk, mashed banana, Egg Beaters and Fleischmann's in separate bowl until well blended. Add to cereal mixture; stir just until blended. (Do not overmix. Batter should still be slightly lumpy.) Let stand 10 minutes. Stir in chopped walnuts. 2. Spray large skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium heat. Ladle batter into skillet, using 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook until bubbles form and burst on top; flip cakes over and cook 2 minutes, or until other side is browned. Repeat with remaining batter. 3. Serve topped with banana slices, walnut pieces and syrup, if desired.

Sweet and tender cookies with milk chocolate and maraschino cherry centers Cooking Technique:Bake Prep Time:Over an hour Cooking Time:10-20 minutes Yield:about 2 dozen cookies (1 cookie per serving) Ingredients 2/3 cup Blue Bonnet®-stick, softened 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon maraschino cherry juice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 25 marschino cherries, patted dry 1 cup milk chocolate morsels, plus 25 more, divided Directions 1. Beat Blue Bonnet and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour, cherry juice and vanilla; mix well. Cover; refrigerate 1 hour. 2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Stuff each cherry with 1 of the chocolate morsels; wrap in 1 tablespoon of dough, completely covering cherry with dough. Roll each into ball. Place, 2 inches apart, on ungreased baking sheet. Reserve remaining chocolate morsels for later use. 3. Bake 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack; cool 30 minutes. 4. Melt remaining 1 cup chocolate morsels in top of double boiler over low heat. (Or, place in small microwavable bowl; microwave on HIGH 45 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.) Dip tops of cookies into melted chocolate. Return to wire rack; let stand until chocolate is set, about 1 hour. Store in single layer in airtight container at room temperature.